Srinagar, Aug. 7 -- Official data from the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department confirms what many in the Valley feared: tourist arrivals have dropped by more than half in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. The arrivals have dropped steeply after the terrorist attack. The figure has plummeted to just 7.5 lakh this year from over 15.6 lakh visitors in the first half of 2024. The decline is more visible among foreign tourists where the numbers have dropped by 41 percent, while domestic footfall has seen an even sharper dip of 52 percent.

The sharp downturn has followed a strong tourist inflow in the first quarter of the year, which saw saw over 5.25 lakh arrivals, signaling what many believed would be anoth...